


How Coffee Can Change Lives

by TheCalculator



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Coffee, Drugging Mechs, Lots of coffee., Memory Loss, OR IS IT, Paranoia, Showers, Temporary Amnesia, Unrevealed Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-27
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-16 12:47:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5829496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCalculator/pseuds/TheCalculator
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The war is over. Both sides signed a peace treaty. Everyone is returning and rebuilding Cybertron. In a house surrounded by the high towers of Lacon, Soundwave lives with his cassettes[symbionts]. He works from home for the city of Lacon for Data Management. They never got visitors coming and knocking are their door, nor did they go outside very much. Though Soundwave every morning before working sits at a coffee shop. While drinking his coffee he looks out the window…</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Forgotten Memory (Soundwave POV)

**Author's Note:**

> The title predicts the intro to get the feeling for the whole story, pretty bad I know. 
> 
> First actual fan fiction I will be releasing to the public. Ever. Probably is going to be filled with mistakes. Tags will probably be changing as the story goes on. Maybe we’ll get to the point of interfacing with other mechs, but I'm not sure yet. Well.. Here it goes.

  


Soundwave resets his optics.

He must've had something on his processor, forgotten now, but he doesn't have those often. It's very rare for someone like Soundwave to blank out of reality, even dangerous when he isn't paying attention to what is going on around him. 

He quickly snaps back to reality to the window, to the glare that brought him back in the first place. There were many mechs outside but there was one mech in particular that caught his eye, and that mech was staring at him. Was that…

He almost tipped his coffee over when something landed on his shoulder.

.: You've been here quite a long time, are you alright? :. Laserbeak messaged.

Soundwave sent him a ping of being fine, and added a few confusion glyphs across the surface of the message.

Soundwave looked out the window looking for that mech again though giving up after he couldn't find him. He then got up and walked out of the coffee shop. Last time he remembered walking out of the coffee shop, now he stood in front of his house staring at the keypad to the gate of his house in front of him. Soundwave resets his optics as a curious Laserbeak glared at him. He punched in the security code and entered the gate and through the front door of the house.

Inside it was almost like nothing changed. Frenzy and Rumble are running around the house with Ravage quietly staring at them. Soundwave saw something fall and rubbed his helm. The twins know that whatever they break they have to replace, and to clean up after they’re done playing around. 

Soundwave went up the stairs to the second story of the house, and enters what Rumble calls the “Bird Sanctuary” and let Laserbeak on one of the branches around the room. Soundwave walked over to the open window, he never remembered opening the window. That’s odd. Maybe Frenzy or Rumble opened it and forgot to close it. He’ll have to remind them at a later time. He pushes down, closing the window.

He walks out of the room and heads down the hall to his room, he enters closing the door behind him. Soundwave rubs his helm, as he walks over to the wash racks.

Soundwave enters the shower and turns it on. Hot solvent started pouring out of the shower head. His armor loosened, allowing the solvent to go deeper into his frame. He needed to stop thinking about today, which was hard for Soundwave because he hates when he doesn’t understand something. Like he is doing now. Soundwave just focuses on the white-noise of the streaming solvent hitting his armor. How it feels so good going through all the cabling throughout his frame. The carrier still focused on the white noise of the solvent covering around his frame.

After being in the shower for many kliks, eventually he gets up and turns off the flowing solvent. Whimpering about not being able to be in there longer, he dries himself off and heads toward his berth.

While on the berth, he tries to think about the day in the calm walls of his berthroom. Why did he blank out like that? Maybe he should go see a medic. But the number one question he had on his mind… who has that mech staring at him, he recognized him, but couldn't remember who it exactly was.

The question riddled Soundwave’s processor as he falls into stasis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> According to Google Docs...  
> Words: 581  
> Characters: 3272
> 
> Thinking about it, I wish I could've added a few more things here and there. But lets keep it simple for the 1st chapter and get the feeling for everything.
> 
> Once again, sorry for any mistakes.
> 
> I wonder who that mech was...


	2. A Forgotten Memory (? POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying to fulfill his need of spark. Going and trying to do things to the people they want for their own benefit. What else could've satisfied his urge?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> " Sleeping... Waking.... These are the rules of my design... Sunless.. Darkness.." -Yesterday by Benn
> 
> I should probably put things in the tags now. I plan for this to be a MUCH bigger FOV due to the nature of the story. I'm excited. 
> 
>  
> 
> NOTE: If you have issues with constantly reading "He" tread lightly, Hiding characters is not my thing, but I tried what I could.

An alarm. What alarm? It was blaring in his audials. Optics come online, realizing the time that's displayed on his chronometer. Jumping out of his berth to his window, and carefully opens a single blind to make sure he doesn't alert the mech he is carefully watching, or notify anything that might be watching him, those cassette tapes are unpredictable.

He watches the blue mech walk across the sidewalk to the coffee shop he always goes to.

Every cycle.

At the same time.

Too scared to approach him, he just watches the beauty. The carrier. Always precise in everything he does, yet also extremely unpredictable when he doesn't follow his religious schedule.

He loves it. He wants that blue carrier with all of his spark, and he isn't going to let anyone take that away from him.

 

Today is going to be his first move on Soundwave.

He runs to his workshop across from his berthroom and grabs a vial and quickly leaves his apartment. Towards the elevator, and pushes the button to go down.

Thinking already thinking about his next plan of making him known to Soundwave. He knows after today his cassettes will be watching over Soundwave like hawks. He knows that the little bots will notice him quickly if he continues his staring spree, those bots are much better at intelligence gathering than he is. Plus, once the cassettes knows, Soundwave will be soon to follow.

Waiting for the elevator impatiently, it opens with someone inside.

He quickly enters, guarding the vial, until the mech next to him speaks up.

“So how have you been?” Ratchet asks.

“It's alright, just trying to fit in better with everyone else.”

“Hah, you've always had that issue of talking to people.” Ratchet replied.

 

That stung him in the spark. Being alone. It fueled his want for Soundwave. Someone to understand him. He hated being alone. After the war, he has just been searching for that one mech to pop up that he falls for. He found the mech he wanted. It was Soundwave.

The elevator reached the lobby and he hastefully walked out of the apartment building, walking across to the coffee shop. He saw Soundwave in his spot, inevitably looking out the window. He tried so hard not to look over. But he walked behind the coffee shop into the alley. He knocked on the backdoor of the store.

The door opens to a surprised Mirage who looks at him questionably then asks what they both are thinking.

“Did you need something?” Mirage asks.

“I need to ask a favor.” replying to the question.

“Well, I'm sort of trying to run a coffee shop right now…”

Mirage stares at the mech in front of him holding a credit chip out.

Mirage takes the credit chip, “Fine, I'll help you just because you helped in the war. What do you want me to do?”

“Remember Soundwave? The former communications officer? Pour this in his coffee today,” As he hands over the small vial to Mirage.

“Alright, fine then just once though. I don't like losing business, and it better not be poison.” Mirage says as he closes the door to return to the coffee shop floor.

Striding out of the alleyway, he goes across the street from the coffee shop directly center of Soundwave’s field of view. He hides in a corner and stares at his chronometer. Waiting for that klik in which Soundwave orders his coffee and sits down. A few kliks later, the liquid in the vial activated, causing Soundwave to be unaware and have amnesia about the future event that will occur. He steps out of his corner and into Soundwave’s field of view and stares him down.

He wanted this. Staring each other down. Relishing the moment, pushing all his want into his optics. Though, in a few more kliks, he sees Soundwave’s optics reset.

He pushes all his energy into being completely still, but then he sees Laserbeak land on Soundwave’s shoulder. Perfect escape as Soundwave looks away.

He bolts. He runs back to his apartment building in case he got followed, he used the stairs. There were no recording equipment in stairwells as for Cybertronian Law.

He climbs the stairs all the way to the 9th story and practically runs to his apartment from there. He only has a few kliks until… he quickly pulls up the blinds. There was Soundwave again, in an amnesic state where he can stare at him without him actually knowing what is happening. He quickly looks back on his chronometer and scrambles getting his blinds closed again.

Wait, realizing that Laserbeak might’ve known what was going on. He starts panicking. Processor racing about things which could happen right now. He knew that Laserbeak known what was happening to Soundwave. The cassette tapes are going to be on high alert now watching their carrier. Few times he has seen the tapes exit their residency.

Walking over to the washracks, he thinks of him and Soundwave together.. Holding hands.. Drinking coffee together. He enters the shower, and the hot solvent starts to pour from the shower head.

Letting his armor loosen as the solvent hits his armor. The hot liquid delves deeper into his frame. He is thinking about what he did to Soundwave. He just realized he hurt the person he wants and loves. Crouching down, hands to his helm.

“No. No this can’t happen again…” he keeps saying to himself.

He drugged Soundwave. He ruined his day for his own pleasure. Removing his hands from his helm, he looked at them. Knowing what he had done, he knew that he’d have to tell him. Or he might die of the guilt, but it's already building up inside of him.

His armor hardens as he takes one of his hands comes up and punches out the glass panel of the entrance to the shower. Glass goes everywhere in the washracks.

He stops the solvent and exits the washracks as if nothing happened. Heading towards his berth, he thinks about what caused this… obsession.

Laying on his berth, he tries to think of happy thoughts of Soundwave and him being together. Making himself happy will make the best of this situation. But eventually goes back thinking about how he drugged his lover.

"Never again..." he keeps saying to himself.

Falling into stasis… while thinking about what was done today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> According to Google Docs...  
> Words: 1069  
> Characters: 6082
> 
>  
> 
> After writing this, I'm really excited for the future of the story. This is actually making me really happy to write this.
> 
> WHO IS IT? 
> 
> Maybe next chapter? ;)
> 
> I'm dying because I haven't started writing it yet.


	3. Working Early and Late (Soundwave POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soundwave has to go to work early to get caught up with previous events that had occurred.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a lot of time to think about and write. So I am very sorry for the mass delay ):
> 
> After I wrote the first chapter(s), I had no idea what I was going to go from there. 
> 
> This is the turn out.

Soundwave groans as he onlined his optics to his chronometer slowly gleaming in his HUD.

Today he has to work extra hard because of the events yesterday, it helps him stay distracted from what happened.

In order to do that though, he cannot work from home today, he has to travel down to the Lacon Police Station. He has a unused office there, dusty, but has equipment that connect to the City's mainframe that is much better than his homes. He might even help with dispatching today after he caught up with his work.

Rising from his berth, his berthroom door swings open and Frenzy and Rumble jump onto Soundwave.

Soundwave knows they want to have fun, but he really does have to go get work done. They both continue clinging to his legs as he walks over to the washracks to get ready for the day. Another shower is needed.

Stepping into the shower with two mechs practically strapped to his legs, he turns on the solvent now pouring from the shower head. His attention turning to the two mechs on his legs, he picks them both up with one hand, prying them from his legs.

“Hey boss, we were trying to enjoy the moment here.” Rumble exclaimed, as Frenzy nods to agree.

 

"Rumble: Affection will be performed.." Soundwave says as he puts them down on their pedes.

Receiving whimpers from both mechs, Soundwave reaches for a scrubbing cloth. Crouching down to the twins, he takes the two into his arms.

Hugging the two mechs in front of him, he caresses the two cassette tapes back plating. Scrubbing the armor inch my inch, Soundwave knew the twins loved when he did this.

Frenzy moans as Soundwave digs further into his armor plating, Rumble as well as Soundwave delves his fingers below his armor.

With the twins drowned into affection and pleasure by their carrier, they relish the rare moment. Soundwave cleaning them, making their servos work without resistance.

But when all seemed well, Soundwave eventually pulled away from the two, standing up. All Soundwave received was whimpers from the two mechs in front of him and Frenzy speaking up:

"We want to spend more time with you boss, do you really have to go into work early?" Frenzy complained..

"Frenzy: Affection will be resumed at a later time." Soundwave said reluctantly, also being sad about not spending time with them, it was something he had to work on.

The twins walked out of the shower, whimpering in sadness while drying themselves off. Soundwave is now alone in the washracks under the stream of hot solvent. Focusing on the white noise as it hits his armor. Though, looking at his chronometer he steps out of the hot solvent, stopping the flow and starts drying himself off.

He gives his hugs to all of his cassettes before leaving. Laserbeak was begging to go with him to the police station to help out, Soundwave decided it would be alright. With Laserbeak on his shoulder with a grasp he hasn’t felt in a long time, it was a little concerning, he’d have to ask about it later when he didn’t have things to do.

The mech strides out the front door, out into the yard of his house. Intaking the air around him has he opens the security gate and closing it behind him. He walks a few blocks before he wonders if he should stop at his coffee shop. Looking at his chronometer, he decides against it. He can get some at the police station, even though it may not be as good.

Approaching the police station, it’s always filled with mechs in the lobby for whatever reason. He shows his City ID to get past security. Passing the break room, Soundwave sees a curious Thundercracker looking out of the window. They exchange hand waving for saying hello and continues on through the facility. Approaching his barely used office, unlocking it and walking in, he gets a blast of dead air through his intakes, closing the door behind him. The office is quite simple. There is a desk in the center with computer consoles on the wall behind it.

Odd. He must’ve left the console on last time he came here. He takes one of his cords and plugs it into the console. It asking for authorization, Soundwave plugs in his Security Card. Now having access to the City Database, he starts his work. Going through tickets of requests assigning people certain restrictions, notification about taxes, and sending court orders. The job wasn’t hard, it was just time consuming due to everyone coming back to cybertron. It’s a lot of mechs to sort and go through. Currently the only person going through these things his him. Laserbeak casually flies around the room until eventually he settles on the desk. Soundwave works vigorously at the console. Sending the console commands through the port while typing away.

Half way through all of the tickets and requests, Soundwave decides to take a break. Walking outside of his office to the break room and pouring himself his coffee. Sitting down at one of the tables, with his large cup of coffee. Laserbeak is playing around in his hand while he walks across his fingers, though eventually Laserbeak moves walking all around Soundwave’s plating.

“You two are really cute together.” A voice behind him says.  
Laserbeak travels back to Soundwave’s shoulder plating. Looking behind him, he looks up at Thundercracker across the breakroom.

“Thundercracker: Has business with Soundwave?” Soundwave asks.

“No, I saw you two together and I just thought it was cute.” Thundercracker replied.

“Laserbeak: Well behaved and loves to play when there is time.” After saying that, Laserbeak chirips.

“I can tell. How have you been Soundwave?” Thundercracker asks.

He thinks about the question. Laserbeak turns his head to him. Soundwave actually didn’t know what to say. Yeah, its been a weird few days for him. Things have been happening randomly and the event… it all gave him a processor ache. He looked up at Thundercracker:

“Soundwave: Is functional”. Knowing that wasn’t answer that Thundercracker expected, he also knew people thought he was extremely unpredictable when speaking to him.

Soundwave sometimes got sad on how alone he is all the time now, the only friendship he really had was with Thundercracker. But then the said mech spoke up.

“Is there something wrong? We can talk about it. Maybe it’ll help you feel better.”

Soundwave was hoping Thundercracker wasn’t going to offer that. The only solution is now just to tell the mech the truth about whats been on his mind in the past few days. Being honest is the best thing that would make him feel better instead of just constantly telling himself lies.

“Soundwave: Experiencing awkward and weird predicaments. Situation: Makes Soundwave feel stressed, paranoid, and insecure.”

“That sounds terrible, maybe you just need someone to be around to talk to until it resolves over. I can come over tonight and talk to you. I can also stay the cycle if it makes you feel safer.”

Laserbeak repositioned himself on Soundwave’s shoulder. Thundercracker wanted to over to the house and practically protect them. There has never been another mech in stasis at the house, so Soundwave was really unsure of the action. Laserbeak chirped of approval. The cassettes know it would help, they discussed it before Soundwave rose from stasis. Soundwave looked over at Laserbeak as the mech repositioned himself in approval. 

“Thundercracker: Allowed to stay until asked to leave. Berthroom: Will be provided.”

“All right, want to meet up after you finish up here?” Thundercracker asks.  
“Request: Approved. Will have my office door open when I am ready.”

“Alright, I’ll see you later.” Thundercracker said as he walked out of the workroom. 

Soundwave got up, but Laserbeak jumped off of his shoulder and flew inside of his office. Entering his office, closing the door, he plugged himself into the console again and started working.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Soundwave unplugged himself from the console. It was pretty late.

He opened the door to wait for Thundercracker.

Walking back to the console, he grabs his Security Card. He wants to know if anyone was watching him in the police station. Probably not. It’s unlikely that anyone would be able to get in here unless they had access. He quickly plugged in his port and started downloading the security footage for today.

10% complete. Maybe he shouldn’t be doing this.

25% complete. The more that number goes up, he gets more want.

80% complete. Wait, what? Wasn’t that just at 25%? Odd.

Thundercracker walks through the door.

“Are you ready Soundwave?” Thundercracker asks.

100% complete. Data Transfer completed.

Soundwave unplugs himself from the console. 

“Soundwave: Ready to exit police station.”

Walking out of the station, they walk down a few blocks.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Approaching the Security Gate of Soundwave’s residency, Soundwave quickly types in the code, being sure Thundercracker not being able to look at it.

They walk through the gate, and alarms already start going off. Soundwave made ample measures to ensure him and his cassettes security. The system didn’t like Thundercracker because the system didn’t exactly know who he was. Soundwave quickly comms the system to silent.

Walking into the house, Soundwave received confused faces on the mechs that opened up the door about the mech walking up the steps behind him. Laserbeak quickly flew off his shoulder and chirped as he flew towards the other cassettes. 

“Cassettes: Thundercracker will be staying a few cycles, allowed to be on premises. Guide him if he requires assistance.”

The twins quickly looked at everyone, eventually looking at each other, then Rumble speaks up.

“You got it boss. Yo Thundercracker, let any one of us know if you need anything” Rumble soon trailed off before everyone separated throughout the house.

“Soundwave: Will show Thundercracker to guest room.” Soundwave said, moving his arm in the direction of the stairs. 

Walking up the stairs, he showed Thundercracker around the upstairs floor, eventually leading him to the guest room.

“Its a very nice house Soundwave. I find it amazing you were able to have this in the middle of Lacon.” Thundercracker seemed very impressed with everything around him. 

“Compliment: Acknowledged.   
Soundwave: Going to stasis early.  
Thundercracker: Ask cassettes if require assistance.” Soundwave said as he trailed off to his berthroom.

“Wait Soundwave..” Thundercracker got up quickly. “You can let me know if you need anything alright? I think I can find my way around now.” Thundercracker was just worried about him, the only other people Thundercracker had was his Thrine. Soundwave was one of his only friends too.

“Request: Acknowledged.” Soundwave said as he trailed off to his berthroom. As soon as he closed the door, he laid down on the berth. He wasn’t particularly fond of allowing people into his house but he just needed someone. He has his cassettes, but it’s just… not the same. Soundwave pulled out his concussion blaster from the war, and charged it up. He put it to the side of the berth in case of an emergency. He trailed off into stasis with the comforting hum of the blaster beside his berth.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soundwave then was forced out of stasis by his processor screaming at him. He quickly onlined his optics and wrapped his servos around his blaster, he looked around the room. He gathered every detail in everything around the room. He knows something is wrong. He can feel it within his spark. He slowly opens his door, and heads down the hallway. He slowly opens the doors around there, quickly peering in to make sure everything is alright.

It looks like everything is in order. Everyone in the house was in stasis, including Thundercracker. Gripping his blaster as he heads downstairs, he looks out one of the windows only to see… nothing. Wait. Was there someone at the gate?

The gate opens, Soundwave waits for the alarms to go off but almost half way through the front yard they don’t go off. Soundwave quickly runs out the backdoor to take him by surprise.

He peers into the front yard, he sees the mech in front of the house. But it was way too dark to see who it might be, which is even more alarming.

Soundwave pulls up his concussion blaster, and pulls the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a thing about my writing, I LOVE CLIFFHANGERS. 
> 
> It also gets annoying after a while, so sorry about that. I'll try not to have many in the future.
> 
> This is my 3rd thing I have ever wrote... ever. So it's an interesting experience for me. This took forever to write. Sorry about that.
> 
> Hmm. The unknown character's POV is going to be a pain to write.


End file.
